Objective:
Through this collaborative interaction the parties intend to coordinate research efforts so as to develop and implement obesity prevention programs and to identify gene-nutrient interactions that have been linked to chronic diseases, which can be used to improve and protect public health.

Approach:
This will be accomplished by developing obesity prevention research projects combining nutritional and lifestyle surveys, research interventions, with –omic technologies; collaborating in the use of research laboratories, research field sites, research volunteers, and designed research studies conducted or planned for implementation in the rural areas of Arkansas and other areas, as mutually agreed; identifying gene – nutrient interactions that are linked with chronic diseases including obesity by analyzing nutrient intakes, biological fluids, and genetic factors; and through developing computational methods for analyses of gene – nutrient interactions.